Fans of Rayman Legends were furious when the game was announced for the Xbox 360 and PS3, because it meant that the hotly-anticipated (and sorely-needed) Wii U version would be delayed by a good six months.

While one could argue that the delay has contributed to the decline of the Wii U - it certainly hasn't helped the console - it hasn't had a negative effect on the game itself, which has benefited from a slew of extra levels, modes and features.

The musical levels were introduced after Ancel's team produced a video of a tester playing the game to Anthrax song 'Antisocial'. What started as something of a joke, however, has actually transformed into one of the game's most intriguing new features.

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Designing these levels was a completely unique experience, in which composer Christophe Heral was asked to create the music before Ancel's team designed the levels.

"When you're creating a game, you start first with the levels, the ideas, and then at the end you ask the music guy to add some music," Ancel revealed.

"This time we wanted to start with the music and build the game based on the music, and on the rhythm, because it is a rhythm game. You're tapping, jumping and kicking to the music."

Game designer Emile Morel added: "What I like about these levels is that they give you the feeling that you're creating the music.

"But on the other hand, it also helps people, because when you listen to the music you know when to jump and punch. It's like a platformer crossed with Guitar Hero."

We'd have to agree. Punching monsters, jumping over obstacles and sailing down zip-lines to 'Black Betty' or 'Eye of the Tiger' is less challenging and a lot more fun if you disengage brain and feel the beat.

There's also the game's "pretty epic boss fights", which include three rounds against a giant luchador over a bed of lava, and a mechanical sea dragon who shoots lasers from its mouth.

Not only were the boss battles designed to take advantage of the new 3D graphics engine - they look incredible - but their inclusion complements the unique feel of each standalone game world.

"A very important thing is that we tried to have not just one story, but a legend, which is a completely unique world with its own story," Ancel revealed.

"Each of these worlds could be a game, and we wanted to work on each world like it was really unique. We worked with the artists, and they gave ideas to other members of the team.

"This is a very interesting way of creating a world, as if it was a movie, or its own game. It's really mixing creativity, art and gameplay."

The visually stunning boss fights really encapsulate this philosophy, and it's hard to imagine the game without them. Again, it's also important to note that they wouldn't have made the cut were it not for the delay.

The delay also led to the brand new invasion levels, which are so challenging that they should come with their own reinforced joypads.

"For every main level of the game you will have an invasion," Morel explains.

"Enemies from another world will enter a world you have already visited. When the enemies invade the levels you play it completely changes everything."

During invasion levels, players have 60 seconds to make their way back through a completely transformed version of the previous stage, avoiding new traps and attempting to outrun enemies such as charging luchadors and dragons.

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Diminutive helper Murphy is also present in some of these levels, even on the PS3 and Xbox 360, with players having to press a button to activate his abilities, whether moving platforms to block fireballs, or eating his way through cake to clear a path.

Competition for best times is fierce even in these early stages. Perfectly respectable scores were destroyed by members of the development team, who have memorised each trick and shortcut to shave seconds off the best times. Challenge mode should be a blast.

While some of the game's more unique features were added after the delay, football mini-game 'Kung Foot' was actually created well before Legends entered development. It started life as a drinking game for the Rayman Origins wrap up party.

Played on a single screen, 'Kung Foot' sees up to five players on Wii U - or four on PS3 and Xbox 360 - attempt to kick and punch a loose ball into the opposition goal.

Simple, chaotic and addictive, you can tell who's playing by the screaming and shouting that accompanies each match.

"For the party at the end of Origins we did a party game which is now 'Kung Foot'. We didn't know it, but this would end up in Rayman Legends, because it was so funny," explains Ancel.

Initially rough around the edges, animations were improved, additional tricks and skills were reportedly added, but it wasn't long before the team decided to scale 'Kung Foot' back in order to retain its simplistic charm.

After witnessing the inaugural 'Kung Foot' tournament during our time with the game, we can predict with some confidence that it will be the surprise hit of the package.

Like the paintings that represent each of the game's levels on the menu screen, Rayman Legends is a colourful coming together of the team's creative and artistic vision.

Each game world, mode and level itself seems to have its own story, and we look forward to experiencing more when the game launches later this summer.

Rayman Legends will be available on Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360 and PlayStation Vita from August 30 in Europe and September 3 in North America.